Sir Charles “Silas” Seymour Wright, KCB, OBE, MC was born in Toronto on 7 April 1887.

He served as a rifleman in The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada from 1904 to 1908.

Wright attended Upper Canada College then graduated in honour physics and mathematics from the University of Toronto and from Cambridge University England. He then served as a scientist for the Scott Antartic Expedition from 1910 to 1913.

In 1914 he joined a special research branch of the Royal Engineers. He made numerous scientific contributions throughout WWI for which he was awarded decorations and awards:

• Knight Commander of the Order of the BAth
• ORder of the British Empire
• Military Cross
• Mentioned in despatches twice
• Legion of Honour (French)
• Medal of Freedom (USA)

He was active in the British Admiralty during World War II, playing an important role in the early development of the Allied radar system and developing devices to detect magnetic mines and torpedoes. He was knighted for his work in 1946. He later directed the Admiralty Research Laboratory and other scientific bodies. Throughout his career he was the author of many scientific papers.

Wright returned to Canada in 1947 and headed various scientific bodies in the USA and Canada, and eventually retired to Victoria, BC in 1953.

He returned to the Antarctic several times in the early 1960’s as a guest of the US government. Wright passed away in 1975 and his remains were buried at sea off the Canadian destroyer, HMCS Restigouche.